The Mind of a Serial Killer
by CandyMuffin
Summary: There's a new serial killer out there. The B.A.U. is out to track him down and when one of their own is taken, they head to get them back, proving the mind of a serial killer is something no one can profile for certain.
1. Special Agent Fairchild

Summary: A serial killer is on the rampage. His targets are weak, easily over-powered women. The team sets out to hunt him down before he strikes again. So when one of there own is taken, they'll stop at nothing to get them back alive. Not to mention a new agent is added to the mix, Gaby, who has an IQ of 192, has two Ph.D.'s., is only 23 years old, and push the buttons of everybody's favorite genius, Dr. Reid. Could it be because she's new competition for him… or could something else have anything to do with it?

Disclaimer: Ok, I don't own any of the original characters in this story. Criminal Minds is in no way my creation.

Just so everyone knows, I'm a little rusty cause I haven't written any fan fiction for a while, usually it's been original work, and this is my first Criminal Minds fan fiction, so bare with me. Please send reviews. If too many people think it stinks, I'll delete it and go back to Phantom and Wicked fan fictions. Anyway, enjoy (I hope.)

Finishing the rest of his paper work, Reid set his pen down and took a sip of his coffee. After working restlessly all night, he finished his paper work from his most recent case. Unfortunately, everyone else was beginning to show up. He was exhausted, but he couldn't go home now. If it was a slow day, he'd try to take a nap on the break room couch.

Yeah, like they ever had a slow day at the B.A.U.

Draining the rest of his coffee, Reid stood and headed to the break room to refill it. He saw Hotch and Morgan already talking inside.

"Geez, Reid, you been here all night?" Morgan asked.

Reid grunted in response, which wasn't very normal for him. But he was too exhausted to give a full explanation of why he had been there.

"No long speech about the importance of sleep or some ancient civilizations ritual involving staying up all night?" Morgan asked. "Boy, you should stay up more often."

Morgan and Hotch left the break room. Reid poured some coffee into his cup. He could have told them some trivia about sleep, like he normally did. But no one seemed to care about it. Reid was the youngest member of the unit and he felt like the baby of the family. Everyone was always looking out for him and teasing him. They knew he didn't have a lot of nerve to do what he did. Not to mention his IQ and knowledge always made him feel like an oddball. Sometimes he wished there was another genius in the unit, just someone he could relate to.

"Excuse me," said an unfamiliar voice. Reid didn't turn around. "Could you possibly tell me where I could find Special Agent Aaron Hotchner?"

"You just missed him, ma'am," Reid said. He turned to face her and felt his breath catch in his chest.

In the doorway to the break room was a young girl carrying two very disorganized boxes, which she was having a little trouble carrying. She had blonde hair held back by a head band. She had creamy, pale skin and was wearing a knee-length burgundy dress with a matching sash around the middle. She wore white nylons and black, knee-high boots.

After staring at her for a moment, the whole time his heart racing, Reid set his coffee down and walked over to her.

"I'm sorry, I… I don't think we've met." Reid said.

"Oh, Gaby," she said. She shifted her boxes to one arm and extended her hand.

"Spencer," Reid said. "I'm an agent here."

"Oh, that's great! I'm just starting here today." She said, smiling and looking a bit harassed. "I was supposed to be here a half an hour ago but I got lost on the way here and then it took me forever to find out where in the building this place was, not to mention I'm extremely nervous." She took a deep breath, "But you really didn't need to know that. Could you tell me where I could find Agent Hotchner?"

"Yes, his office is just down the hall. His name's on the door, so it shouldn't be too hard to find." Reid said, "Would you like some help carrying your boxes?"

"No, thank you, I can manage." She said, smiling, "I guess I'll see you after I get settled."

Gaby walked off. Reid watched her until she had turned the corner out of sight. He calmed down and his breath and heart went back to normal. He grabbed his cup and headed out of the break room. He felt wide awake now… and the coffee had nothing to do with it.

About an hour later, Reid, Elle, Morgan, and J.J. were waiting in the conference room for Hotch and Gidieon. The others were looking at a few pictures of some missing victims. Reid sat off by himself, rather quiet. Any minute, Gaby might walk in, ready for her first assignment with the team. For once, there would be someone with less experience then him.

Finally, Hotch walked in with Gaby beside him. Reid could feel his heart beat quicken again as he saw her. What was wrong with him? He hadn't felt this way since Lila had kissed him in the pool, but that was months ago and he hadn't spoken to Lila since.

"Everyone," Hotch said, shutting the door to the conference room. "This is Gabriella Fairchild. She has just been assigned to the B.A.U. Gaby has two Ph.D.'s in criminology and psychology."

"Two Ph.D.'s?" Elle asked. "How old are you."

"23," Gaby said. Reid was shocked.

"Oh, great just what we need, another genius." Morgan said.

"Hey!" Reid said.

Suddenly, the door to the conference room opened and Gidieon walked in, carrying a few files. "Sorry, I'm late," he said, "What did I miss?" He looked up and saw Gaby.

Gaby gasped when she saw him. She was surprised for a moment, but then collected herself. She had a look on her face of shock and a what seemed like a bit of loathing.

Gidieon however was curious. He stared at Angela for a moment, as if trying to decide where he had seen her. "Who's this?"

"This is Gaby Fairchild, our new agent." Hotch said.

"You look familiar." Gidieon said, "I'm sorry, have we met before?"

"Unfortunately, no," Gaby said, "Dad!"


	2. Shocking News

"Excuse me?" Gidieon asked, removing his glasses.

"This is your father?" J.J. asked. "Gidieon, you have a daughter?"

"Not that I know of." He replied.

"Oh, he wouldn't remember me," Gaby said, her expression unchanged, "The last time my mother had any contact with him, she was pregnant, unknown to her knowledge."

"Who is your mother, exactly?" Gidieon asked.

"Uh, maybe we should leave you two alone and discuss the case in another room." J.J. said.

"No, J.J., how could this not be good?" Morgan asked, watching with interest as if he were watching a soap-opera.

"Sarah Fairchild," Gaby answered.

Gidieon took a deep breath, "Sarah," he said softly.

"You know who she's talking about?" Hotch asked.

"Guys, I really don't think this is any of our business." J.J. replied.

Gaby and Gidieon stared at each for a few moments. Neither of them said anything. Hotch finally cleared his throat. "Shall we get started, then?"

Everyone took a seat around the table. Gaby sat next to Reid. He shifted a little from nerves. He smiled at her. "Hi again." He whispered.

"Hi," she said.

Everyone settled and turned to face Hotch. He pulled out his files and began.

"Ok, folks, recently, over the past two months, in New Castle, Pennsylvania, three women have turned up missing for a week and then found dead in a random area. Each woman was reported to work low-paying, common jobs. One a secretary, the other two, teachers. Each was reported to be easily over-powered. All three were under 30 and under 5'5. All three also reported receiving flowers very often from "Anonymous". Police believed he stalked the women before he killed them. All were discovered to have been dumped, having been moved from the original crime scene, all had strangle marks around their necks, and all had been raped pre and post mortem. Cause of death was suffocation. Time of death is usually ten to twelve hours before the bodies are found, so the unsub dumps his body at night after dark."

"Any more women reported missing recently?" Elle asked.

"No. The police are hoping to catch this guy before anyone else is killed."

"Ok, everyone pack and be ready to leave in an hour and a half." Gidieon said.

Everyone got up and left. Gaby rushed out of the conference room before anyone could stop her. Reid chased after her.

"I'm not sure if you packed yet." Reid said, catching up to her, "Most of us have a bag or something ready to go should we have to go out-of-town."

"Hotchner warned me about that. I packed ahead of time."

They entered the break room. Gaby got some coffee. Reid cleared his throat, wanting to keep talking.

"So, you have two Ph.D.'s?" he asked.

"Look," Gaby said, "I know why you're talking to me. Yes, I am Jason Gidieon's daughter. He and my mom went to college together and he left my mom for another woman, which he just happened to cheat on my mother with. Anymore questions?"

"I… I didn't need to-"

"No, you didn't need to know, but you wanted to and so now you do." She exclaimed.

This was not going very well. "Well, um… I wasn't going to ask… anything about that. Uh… I have three Ph.D.'s."

"Oh," Gaby said. "I'm uh… I'm sorry." She said, "Three Ph.D.'s, wow! How… how old are you?"

"24," Reid replied. "I'm a genius."

Well, I never thought you could really determine who is a genius and who isn't; of course I was always told I was. I do have an IQ of 192, I graduated high school when I was eleven, I can read 30,000 words per minute, I have a photographic memory…" Gaby said. She stopped and looked at Reid again. "But, I'm rambling. Sorry, I do that a lot, especially when I'm nervous. Um… I'll see you later."

Gaby rushed out of the break room, pushing past Morgan. He smiled at Reid, who was watching as Gaby rushed out.

"Well, Reid, it looks like you got some competition." Morgan said.

Reid looked at Morgan in surprise. "What are you talking about?"

"Hotch told me. She's a year younger than you and he says, according to her file, she's just as smart as you are, if not more."

"Smarter than me?" Reid said.

"Yeah, why does that bother you?" Morgan asked.

"She's not smarter than me. She can't be!"

Morgan laughed as he left the break room. Reid stared after him for a minute. Morgan didn't know what he was talking about. "She can't be smarter than me."

Two hours later, the B.A.U. sat aboard their jet, well on their way to Pittsburgh, Pa, where they would be driven an hour north to New Castle. Reid sat with everyone else, review some notes on the case. The others were reading and discussing. Gaby seemed almost lost, looking around at the others. Reid was still a bit on edge from what Morgan had said. She couldn't be smarter than him… could she?

"So, what do we know about this city?" Elle asked.

"Actually, it's not a city at all. It used to be very popular and very large, about as popular as New York." Gidieon answered.

"Of course, I don't think Phantom of the Opera will be opening there anytime soon." Hotch interrupted.

Gidieon continued. "The town eventually died down around the early 1900 hundreds. Now, the county it's mostly famous for farm land and the nation's capital of fireworks."

"Fourth of July's got to be fun there." Morgan said.

"I doubt a small town like them has dealt with many serial killers in the past." J.J. replied.

"They have their stories." Gidieon replied, "For instance, the Green Man."

"The Green Man?" Elle asked.

"The Green Man was a man struck twice by lightning in his lifetime," Gaby replied, looking up, "Now, when he is seen at night, his skin glows a dim neon green."

Reid looked over at Gaby. Already she was spitting out information that the others didn't know about. Of course he himself had never heard about The Green Man. There had to be a logical explanation as to why he didn't know that and she did.

"They've never faced anything quite this serious before. Girls go missing for a week and then turn up dead. It's enough to cause any parent or husband to want to lock their wives and daughters indoors." Hotch said. "We'll have to be careful not to start a panic. The only piece of information that might be of any help is that all three victims worked at the same place. A high school. The secretary worked in the guidance office; the other two were an English teacher and a choir teacher. We may be looking at someone who works close to them or knows all three of them personally."

"Knows them personally?" Morgan asked, sarcastically he went on. "Well, it's a small town. How hard can that be?"

"Actually, it could be someone the women didn't know at all, just observed them. Stalkers usually don't have any contact with their victims. It would have been easy for them to determine a pattern after watching them for a while, knowing when it would be best when they finally decide to strike."

"Yeah, we all know that, Gaby, we've done this before." Reid snapped at her.

Gaby looked surprise over at Reid. He turned away from her. He wasn't sure what made him react the way he did. She didn't have to be such a know-it-all.

"Sorry, I was just trying to help." Gaby replied.

"He probably is already working on a new victim." Hotch said, "Let's try to catch him before he strikes again."

Everyone nodded. They continued to discuss the case as Gidieon moved his seat over to Reid.

"What was that all about?" He whispered.

"What's was what about?" Reid asked, not looking up.

"Never mind." He answered. Reid didn't look up, but he could tell Gidieon was smirking.

(These are still very short and a little slow, but they'll get longer soon, I swear. I just don't want to introduce too much too soon. I also added a few bits of trivia from my hometown, if you haven't picked that up yet. (Oh, and those of you who know me in real life, yeah, I know one of the victims is like Franus, but she just popped in my head when I was writing this! Really, don't go running to her on Tuesday and tell her I want her dead.) Anyway, R&R! Thanks!)


	3. Crime Scene

Having arrived at the police station in downtown New Castle, Hotch and his team got out of the two cars that had driven them on their hour drive from the Pittsburgh Airport. Snow was starting to come down lightly around, making the small downtown look almost like something out of a book, except for the graffiti on several of the buildings. Everybody rushed inside. The snow may have been light, but the wind was picking up, stinging everyone's faces.

Once inside, an officer walked over to them. She was an older woman, about forty. "Hello," she said, "You must be from the B.A.U. My name is Officer Voggler. I'll be happy to answer any questions you might have or help you in any way."

"We'd like to see the crime scene of the most recent victim." Gideon said.

"It's about ten minutes away." She said, "I and another officer can take in all in our squad cars."

So, once again, the team was out in the cold, climbing into two separate cars and heading out to the next crime scene. Reid climbed into a car with Morgan, Elle, and to his dislike, Gaby.

"Where exactly are the crime scenes at?" Gaby asked. She looked over at Reid, who was sitting next to her in the back seat. He looked away from her, out the window.

"Well, the first one was on the highway about a mile from the school." Officer Voggler said. The second was near a lake, about a quarter of a mile closer. This one is behind a gas station just down the road from the school. Her car never left the gas pump. The clerk inside was concerned when she didn't leave after paying for gas. He called it in. She was found about two hours later."

"Nobody saw her taken away or go off with anyone mysterious?" Elle asked.

"We interviewed the people on the scene when we arrived." Voggler replied, "If anyone had, they had left already."

"Maybe she went into the bathroom or something and the unsub was in there." Gaby said.

"Oh, of course, the bathroom." Reid said, "It's obvious, every single person who turns up missing at a gas station is kidnapped by someone waiting in the restroom. Every case is a textbook case."

"It was just a suggestion." Gaby answered bitterly.

"Give her a break, Reid, this is her first day." Morgan said. "You remember your first case, right?"

Reid didn't answer. He turned and continued to look out the window. He didn't know why he was treating Gaby like this. She had seemed alright at first, but now she just seemed to be in his way. He couldn't help but dislike Gaby Fairchild, and he didn't mind showing her, either.

"Didn't Hotch mention something about the bodies appearing to have been dumped?" Elle asked.

"Yeah," Morgan said, "They were suspected to have been raped and killed somewhere else."

"Probably all in the same place." Elle replied.

"Other than the victims working together and having the same COD, did they have any other similarities?"

"Nothing that was reported to the police." Voggler said, turning into the parking lot of the gas station.

"We'll have to interview any body who worked close with them." Reid said.

"Students would be our best bet." Gaby replied, "After all, they spend a scheduled amount of time daily with the victim."

"If you had given me a moment, I would have mentioned that myself." Reid snapped.

"Sorry, I didn't know." Gaby said with a self-satisfied smile. "I wasn't sure if you would be able to think of that on your own. I'm surprised you pieced the first part of that together."

Reid looked at Gaby, furious. She smiled at him in an innocent way. Morgan snorted, trying to stifle his laughter.

"This is going to be a long case." Elle said.

Reid, Gaby, Morgan, Elle, and officer Voggler climbed out of the squad car as the second one pulled in. Gidieon, Hotch, and J.J. got out with the other officer. They walked over to the rest of the team.

"If you'll follow me, I'll lead you over to the crime scene." Voggler said, leading them behind the gas station.

Police tape enclosing the area, the crime scene sat, minus the body. A few crime scene investigators were picking up clues and taking a few pictures of the area. Gidieon bent down to exam a large pile of mud, which looked as if someone had stepped in and sank a bit in the mud.

"No one was seen around the area?" Hotch asked.

There was a crowd of high school seniors around the body when we found her. They didn't report it or anything. They said they were going to, just after making sure she was a real dead body."

"That's the best story they could come up with?" Morgan asked.

"What are you going to do? They're high school kids." The other officer said.

"Anything specific?" J.J. asked, standing over Gidieon.

"Look at this print." Gidieon said, "It's too perfect." He stood up and looked around. "Everything about this scene is perfect. Perfectly laid out, perfectly set. I'd bet even the body was perfectly lain."

"What does that mean?" Gaby asked.

"It means that the unsub specifically wanted the scene to look like this. The average person would have staged the scene to cover his tracks to frame someone. But this being a serial killer, it could mean he wants his victims to be in this spot and everything around the victim exactly the way he pictured and planned it. The boot print in the mud, the water around where the body lays, the position the body lays in, it all means something the unsub wants to tell the victim."

"Any person with an IQ above 70 would have already known that." Reid said.

"Oh, I understood. I wanted him to explain so you could understand." Gaby answered.

Gaby turned and followed Hotch and Elle, who were walking around the gas station, out of sight. Morgan walked over to Gidieon.

"So you have a daughter?" Morgan asked.

Gidieon didn't look from the crime scene. "We have a serial killer on the lose, ready to strike its next victim, and that's what you're concerned about?"

"Have you talked to her yet?" Morgan asked.

"I'll talk to her later." Gidieon replied.

"You knew her mom, right. I mean, it sounded like you two had a thing together."

"Could we not be so concerned about this now?" Reid asked.

"Why are you so on edge today?" J.J. asked.

"I'm not on edge. I'd just like everyone to focus on the case, please!" Reid walked around the gas station.

Morgan and J.J. followed Reid around the gas station, leaving Gidieon alone with the crime scene. Hotch, Elle, and Gaby were interviewing the clerk.

"Look, it's like I told the cops." The clerk said, "I'm covering a shift for a friend, so I've been here since 7 p.m. She stopped by about 9:30, bought gas, a cappuccino, and a pack of gum, and left the store. It was around 7 a.m. when it started to get light and I noticed her car was still out there. That's when I called the cops."

"Did you see her get into her car?" Elle asked.

"It was dark, lady." The clerk said, "Not to mention we had a pretty bad storm last night. The snow was pretty thick. I'm surprised there wasn't a delay up the school. Mind you, the school doesn't often delay."

"Who else was in the store that night?" Hotch asked.

"Let's see," the clerk thought for a moment, "The vet that works down the road, musical rehearsal had let out about nine, so there were a few kids who stopped by afterward. I assume that's why the teacher was in there. Ms. Winters helps plays piano for the show. There was also a janitor from the church a few miles down the high way. Works the night shift. Pretty shady character. He might be your guy. He also works at the school in the mornings until noon."

"Thank you; we'll contact you if we have anymore questions." Elle said.

The clerk walked back into the station. The team, minus Gidieon, turned to talk to one another.

"We'll head up to the school and interview any kids who have close contact with the teacher." Hotch said.

"Especially those musical kids." J.J. replied.

"Right. Elle and I will talk with the principal, see if he knows anything. As soon as Gidieon gets back, Morgan, I want you two and J.J. to talk with that janitor. He's still has a few more hours on his shift. Reid, you and Gaby find out who has class with the teacher and who is also in the musical. Pull them out of whatever class they're in and talk to them."

"Do I have to work with her?" Reid asked. "I mean, she isn't even properly trained!"

"It's not exactly better roses for me either, sweetie!" Gaby snapped, glaring at him.

Morgan leaned to whisper in Elle's ear. "Do you have a knife?" he asked.

"What for?" J.J. asked.

"To cut the tension between those two." He said. Elle snorted and covered her mouth with her hand.


	4. English Teachers and Gym Class

The squad car pulled up in front of the school entrance. Reid and Gaby climbed out, followed by Elle and Hotch.

"Reid," Hotch said, low enough so Gaby wouldn't hear. "Go easy on Gaby. She's new and she's nervous."

"She seems to have a pretty good handle on things." Reid said.

"I'm serious, try not to snap at her or insult her. She's trying." Hotch said.

Reid nodded. He looked over at Gaby. He could feel his heartbeat quicken as he did. He had never another person like him before. Sure, he had known smart kids in college, but no one his own age with the same qualifications. He remembered about what he had wished in the break room, to have another genius in the unit. Then he'd have someone to relate. Now he wished he had never even finished his paper work.

Inside the school, the four stopped into the main office and received visitor badges.

"Copies of the kids schedules can be found in the guidance office." The secretary said. "Although it may take a bit. We have sub-secretary in the guidance office right now."

"Could you just tell us who is in charge of the play?" Hotch asked.

"Uh…" she thought for a minute, "Mr. Herring. He's the director. He may be able to give you a clue. Any kid who's close enough with the choir teacher would be close enough to him. He should be able to tell you at least where the kids will be in a period or two."

"Thanks," Reid said. He turned to Gaby. "Come on!"

"Reid," Hotch said.

Reid didn't say anything, but he got the message. He opened the door and let Gaby pass through first. He followed, some what reluctantly.

The school being so small, it didn't take them long to find Mr. Herring's classroom. He was in the middle of a discussion with his class about the book To Kill a Mockingbird. The door was open. Reid knocked and poked his head in.

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Herring?" he asked.

"Yes, can I help you?" Mr. Herring asked.

"Could we speak to you in the hall, please?"

"What did you do?" asked a red-haired girl in the front row.

"They must have finally picked up my drug smuggling," he said with a smile. "Start reading Chapter 10, I'll be back in a moment."

Mr. Herring stepped out of the classroom. He shut to door behind him. "What can I help you with?"

"Sir, we're from the FBI, Behavioral Analysis Unit," Gaby said.

"You're investigating Ms. Winters, aren't you?" Mr. Herring asked.

"Yes," Reid said, "We understand she was helping you with the school play. What exactly did she do?"

"Well she was the choir teacher. I can't read music, so she taught the choir and the leads their songs. She also plays piano in the orchestra."

"Was she well like among the students?" Reid asked.

"Well, every teacher has students that like and disliked them. She was well acquainted with the seniors. She also teaches at the elementary. Their kindergarten year was her first year in the district. They really like her."

"Were their any specific students or a smaller group of students that were closer to her." Reid asked.

"There was a group, a few seniors and juniors. I would often see them talking with her at the piano before we got started or when we had a break." He paused, "You don't think they had anything to do with it, do you?"

"We don't want to rule out anything, but the kids may give us a clue as to who could have killed her." Reid said.

"Could you tell us where these students are?" Gaby asked.

"Well, two of the girls, Stella and Penny have gym this period. The three boys, I'm not quite sure where they're at, but I'm sure the girls would know."

"Thank you for your time." Reid said.

"I do hope you catch her killer." Mr. Herring said. "Ms. Winters was… a very special woman."

Reid and Gaby walked away as Mr. Herring went back into his classroom. Gaby looked behind her shoulder to make sure Mr. Herring was gone. "I don't like him." She said.

"It's not our job to like or dislike certain people." Reid said. "But out of curiosity, why not?"

"Did you hear the way he referred to her. 'Ms. Winters was… a very special person.' It seems like Ms. Winters was more than an asset to the play."

"That could mean anything," Reid said. "Don't jump to conclusions. If you do, you could end getting someone killed."

The two headed downstairs and after getting quick directions, they found the gym. The girls were playing a game of softball inside, thanks to the snow. Reid and Gaby walked over to the gym teacher, looking for Stella and Penny.

"Stella and Penny?" she said, "Sure, hang on."

She called across to the "outfield" where Stella and Penny stood talking, not even caring about the game. They slowly made their way over to the gym teacher.

"I hate gym in high school." Gaby said.

"Me too." Reid said, thinking back. "It wasn't easy playing basketball with kids who were twice your height."

"That's nothing," Gaby said, "Try being a class full of developed girls who find amusement in the fact that you don't even need a training bra yet."

Reid laughed lightly. Stella and Penny stopped in front of them.

"Girls," the teacher said, "This two people would like to speak to you in private."

"Oh my god, it's about the cow," Penny said, turning to Stella.

"Shut up, Penny!" Stella cried.

"Girls, we'd like to talk to you in private please." Reid said, leading them out into the hallway.

The four made it out of the gym. As the door closed, Stella launched into explanation.

"Ok, look, we didn't mean to lose that cow! Look, we were driving, actually my boyfriend was driving, and a deer jumped out in front of us and so, stupidly, he tried to avoid it and drove my dad's car into a barn! And then-"

"We're not here about any car accident." Gaby said, "We're here about your choir teacher, Ms. Winters."

"What about her?" Penny asked.

"We're from the Behavioral Analysis Unit, a unit in the FBI. We're investigating her murder." Reid said.

"Murder?" Stella asked. "Ms. Winters was… murdered?"

"Didn't you know she was dead?" Gaby asked.

"We had heard something had happened to her, but… nobody knew she was dead." Penny replied.

"I can't believe this," Stella cried, sitting on radiator sticking out from the wall. "Ms. Winters was my favorite teacher!"

"Mine, too." Penny said. She leaned closer to Reid and Gaby, "She and Stella were very close. They were neighbors. Stella often rode home with Ms. Winters after practice. She was over at her house a lot, too. Ms. Winters would sometimes take her to the theater and concerts. They both had a great love of music."

"Really," Reid said, "Stella, did you notice anything strange or different about Ms. Winters or at Ms. Winters' house over the past few weeks or so?"

"Huh?" Stella asked, looking up, "Oh, um… nothing unusual. Although, she did seem a bit on edge lately when she'd drive me home. I asked what was wrong and she told me the musical was getting to her. Apparently some of the chorus members weren't taking it very seriously, or something. I didn't think that was it, though."

"Why didn't you ride home with her last night?" Gaby asked.

"Oh, I spent the night at my aunt's last night. She picked me up. My parents are out of town." She replied.

"Do you have any more questions?" Penny asked, seeing the rest of the class going inside the locker room to change, "We'd like to change so we're not late for our next class."

"Just one more question, a few guys also hang out with Ms. Winters. Could you tell us about them?" Reid asked.

"Justin, Rian, and Kirk?" Penny said, "Oh, they're not bad kids. Pretty close with Ms. Winters, too. Justin has a crush on her, I think. He, Stella, and Rian are seniors."

"I see, anything strange going on with them over the past few weeks?" Gaby asked.

"Nothing out of the ordinary, but we'll keep an eye out." Penny said.

"Thank you, girls," Reid said. "That's all. And we'd appreciate it if you could refrain from telling anyone that Ms. Winters was murdered."

Stella and Penny nodded and headed back into the gym. Gaby and Reid turned and started down the hallway.

"Well, that really got us no where." Gaby said.

"What are you talking about?" Reid asked.

"Nobody knew anything. We're no where closer to catching who did this than we were when we arrived in Pittsburgh."

"Let me give you a little tip, Gaby." Reid said, stopping her. "Catching serial killers is not like catching a regular killer. They are very careful about when the murder, how they murder, and who they murder. The truth doesn't jump up and down in front of your face. You have to look and listen."

"Aren't you the wise one." Gaby said sarcastically.

"I'm not trying to give you a lecture; I'm trying to help you." Reid said, seriously.

They walked out the door, heading out into the cold. Up the street, the squad car waited outside the school. The snow was still falling thickly.

"Don't they salt these walk-ways?" Gaby asked, "This is just an accident waiting to hap-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Gaby slipped on some ice. She grabbed Reid's arm to stop herself from falling.

Instinct, kicking in, Reid reached over with his other arm to grab her. They froze for minute, trying to calm down and stifle their laughter.

"It is a bit slippy, isn't it?" Gaby asked.

"Hold on," Reid said, "I'll help you up."

Reid tried to help Gaby up, but no good. She lost her balance and fell, forcing Reid to slam down beside her.

At first, the two lay on the ice, frozen with pain and shock. Reid quickly looked over to see if Gaby was alright. She was trying to hold her laughter as she caught his eye. After a second, they burst out laughing.

"See, I told you!" Gaby said.

They laughed for a few moments. Once they finally stopped to catch their breath, Gaby and Reid stared at each other silently.

"I'm sure they're waiting for us," Reid said, "We should really-"

"Yeah," Gaby said, starting to get up.

"Here, I'll help you."

Reid slowly stood and pulled Gaby to her feet. Slipping a bit again, Reid caught her in his arms. They looked up at each other, so close, their noses touched.

"Sorry, I'm a klutz." Gaby said.

Reid cleared his throat. "It's uh… its ok."

They stayed together for a moment before they finally let go and, in silence, headed for the squad car.

(I know, I'm taking my sweet time with Gidieon and Gaby. Don't worry, we'll get there! Thanks for the great reviews! Keep them coming! )


	5. Gaby and Gidieon

On the way back to the station, Reid stared out the window, silent. Gaby sat next to him, but she said nothing, nor looked at him.

"Did you two find out anything?" Hotch asked from the front seat.

"A few minor things," Reid said, "Things that might make sense later."

"Gaby, how do you like being a B.A.U. agent so far?" Elle asked.

"It's nice," Gaby said, "A little slow paced, but I like it."

"Things will heat up soon." Elle said, "Has Reid been treating you alright?"

Gaby hesitated. Reid could feel her eyes on him. He didn't turn from the window. "For the most part." Gaby said.

A few minutes later, the squad car pulled into the police station parking lot. Hotch, Gaby, Elle, and Reid climbed out just as the other squad car with J.J., Gidieon, Morgan, and officer Voggler. The team and the two officers entered out of the snow and bitter winds into the semi-warm station.

"Elle and I will set up in the conference room," Hotch said to everyone. "Everyone there in 20 minutes."

They entered the conference room, leaving the rest of the team in the corridor. Gidieon took a deep breath and cleared his throat. "Gaby," he said, "Could I talk with you… please?"

Gaby turned at looked at Gidieon. She looked about to say something, but swallowed and silently nodded. She followed Gidieon down the hall and out of sight.

"What are we doing, let's ease drop!" Morgan said.

It was wrong. It was immoral and an invasion of privacy. It would be one of the lowest acts in the world to ease drop upon the first conversation between a father and daughter.

Please, that didn't stop Reid.

Without thinking twice, Reid followed Morgan down the hallway. "You guys!" J.J. cried, "Leave them alone! It's none of our business!"

"Gidieon, probably the most secretive and mysterious guy we know turns out to have a daughter and you're telling me you're not even the least bit curious about it?" Morgan asked.

"I… well…" J.J. stammered, but she couldn't think of anything better to say.

They Morgan peaked around a corner and saw Gidieon and Gaby enter Officer Voggler's private office. The shut and locked the door behind them.

"Yes!" Morgan cried, "Their's a window above the door."

"Those only open from the inside." Reid said, "And anyway, they'll notice if we open it."

"Good deductive reasoning, Einstein," Morgan said, "But it just so happens, it's already open!"

The three quickly and quietly sneaked to the door. Morgan climbed on one of the chairs set outside of the office, closer to the window.

"For the record, this is wrong!" J.J. hissed.

"Do you want to go back?" Morgan asked.

"I just want it on the record!" J.J. replied.

"Shh!" Reid urged, straining his ears to hear.

"So," Gidieon started. They could tell he was nervous. "How is your mother?"

"She's fine," Gaby answered.

"I bet she's very proud of you," Gaby said, "Having two Ph.D.'s and… working at the FBI."

"Yeah," Gaby said, "She always wanted to go to college and be a lawyer but she had a huge problem that kept her from it."

"What?" Gidieon asked.

"She had to raise a kid, all on her own." Gaby said.

Gidieon paused. Reid wished he could see what his expression was. "I'm sorry, Gaby, if I had-"

"You know, she worked herself to the bone to send me to be able to send me to a private high school, when I was seven!" Gaby cried. "I begged her to just let me finish school just like I was normal, with kids my own age. She thought it was because I was teased and treated badly. I wanted her to live a normal life, too. But, I guess when one parent isn't around to help you grow up, your life isn't very normal."

"Gaby, I'm sorry, if I'd have know…" Gidieon said.

"My mom told me you cheated on her." Gaby said. "Is that true?"

"What did your mom tell you?" Gidieon asked.

"She said you cheated on her and the other woman got pregnant, you felt responsible, so you married her." Gaby said. "Is that true?"

"Gaby," Gidieon said, "What happen between your mom and me is… very delicate."

There was a long pause.

"What's happening?" J.J. asked.

"I can't see!" Morgan said.

"Are they still talking?" Reid asked.

"Hang on, I think Gidieon might be sitting down."

"We had been arguing a lot and one night we had a huge fight. I was very upset and I stormed out of her apartment. I met my, now ex-wife, while she was working at this bar where I went for a drink. She was in one of my classes and she flirted with me a lot. One thing led to another and after she had finished her shift, we went back to her apartment. The next morning, I went back to your mother and apologized for everything."

Gidieon paused as he cleared his throat. "Two years later, after I had started working here at the B.A.U., the girl contacted me. She told me we had a son… and she felt that… I should be involved with his life. I explained it to your mother; she stepped aside to take care of my family."

"We were your family!" Gaby cried, "Did you know you were leaving a pregnant woman?"

"If your mother had told me she was pregnant, I would never have left." He said, "I loved Sarah with all my heart."

"Doesn't seem like you did." Gaby said, "Whatever happened to Miss One-Night Stand anyway?"

"We got a divorce when Steven was about twelve." He said, "I don't talk to them much anymore. His mother and I don't get along very well."

"And you never thought to contact my mother?" Gaby asked.

Another pause followed Gaby's words. Gidieon appeared to be thinking.

"I thought about it," Gidieon said, "But… I assumed Sarah had… moved on. Married someone else. Was happy. I didn't want to interfere with that or complicate things."

"I see," Gaby said.

"Believe me, Gaby, I loved your mother." Gidieon said, "I wanted to marry her… I would have."

After a silence longer than the previous three, J.J. whispered, "What's happening?"

"What part of 'I can't see them' don't you understand?" Morgan said.

"How do you like the B.A.U. so far?" Gidieon asked.

"Uh," Gaby said, "It's alright."

"How do you like the people?" Gidieon asked.

"Most of them." Gaby replied, "The exceptions being you and Dr. Reid."

Gidieon seemed to hesitate again, "I can understand me, but what's wrong with Reid?"

"He's arrogant and appears to be very threatened by me." Gaby replied, "He was nice at first but… I don't know, after I'd been around for a while, he started to become very put-off by me."

"I see." Gidieon said.

"Look, I'm sure Hotchner and Elle are ready for us, so why don't we just put on a happy face and go to the briefing. I'm sure you're dying to get out of here."

"Guys, she's coming to the door," Morgan said, jumping off the chair. They rushed down the corridor and turned as Gaby opened the door.

"Hey, where's Reid?" J.J. asked, looking around.

They made it back to the conference room before they found Reid, sitting in a chair outside the door. Morgan sat down next to him.

"Dude, what's up?" Morgan asked. J.J. stood beside him

"She thinks I'm arrogant and threatened by her?" Reid said, more to himself than anyone. "I am not threatened by her!"

Suddenly, around the corner appeared Gaby and a few moments later, Gidieon.

"They ready for us?" Gidieon asked.

"I think by now, they should be," J.J. replied.

Gaby opened the door. "Are you guys coming in?"

"I am," Reid said, standing up, "Wouldn't want you to think I'm staying out here for your sake!"

Reid pushed his way into the room before Gaby. A look of loathing and irritation on her face, Gaby followed.

"How'd it go with you two?" J.J. asked.

"You two should know, you were listening outside the door." Gidieon said.

"How did you know that?" Morgan asked.

"I didn't!" Gidieon said, "But now I do."

J.J. laughed. "I will say this," Gidieon said, "She is just like her mother."

"She's not too fond of Reid, is she?" J.J. said.

"Reid's not too fond of her either," Morgan said, "That's my fault."

"Why is it your fault?" J.J. asked.

"I told him he had some competition now." He replied, "If I had kept my mouth shut, he'd be alright with her."

"Trust me, Derek," Gidieon said, "Reid's pride and ego has nothing to do with it."


	6. Avoiding Duities

Everyone got settled in the conference room. Other officers were piling in and taking seats. Gidieon stood up front with Hotch were a few pictures of crime scenes had been put up for reference.

Hotch began to explain to the other officers about the serial killer on the loose. Reid was only half listening; after all, he had heard this before.

She thinks I'm threatened by her? Reid thought, I am threatened by her, I am not arrogant and she is not smarter than me.

He turned and looked at Gaby, a few seats away from him. Why does this bother me so much? He thought.

The clock read 1: 45 by the time Hotch and Gidieon had finished and all questions had been answered.

"Ok, if that's all, we'll tell you what we found out this-" Hotch said.

"Excuse me, I hate to interrupt," A man about 22-years-old cried, rushing into the room. "But I've just heard something that I think you should know."

"William," Officer Voggler said, "Now is not-"

"Another girl's gone missing!" he cried.

There was a chilling silence among the agents and officers in the room. "Who?" Gidieon asked.

"A girl named Stella Greenspell." He said.

"Oh my god!" Gaby gasped. She and Reid looked at each other, shocked.

"You two know her?" Hotch asked.

"She was one of the kids Gaby and I interviewed this morning." Reid said. "What happened?"

"They said she went out to her car, putting a project inside to take home. She never came back in. The project was found shattered beside her locked car."

"Oh my god!" Gaby said again. "I can't believe this! We just talked to her!"

"Someone should go down to the school and find out the whole story." Hotch said.

"I'll go," Gidieon said. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Thanks Gidieon." Hotch said. Gidieon walked out. Hotch turned to the rest of them. "Ok, Gaby, Reid, I want you to go to the church and find out anything you can about the janitor, Chris Fielding, that we didn't already learn. The rest of us, I want any files we can brought up about Mr. Herring, Ms. Winters, Mr. Fielding, and the other victims."

Gaby grabbed her coat. She and Reid walked out into the hallway. "Listen, Gaby," Reid said.

"Yes?" Gaby asked, turning to face him.

"Look, I have some things, some paper work I need to take care of, stuff I didn't finish last night. I'll be in really big trouble if I don't finish it and send it in. Do you think you can handle this on your own?"

Gaby thought for a moment. "Well, I guess so. I mean… I am still new at this… but I wouldn't want you to get written up on my account." She paused, thinking, "Ok, I'll go."

"Are you sure?" Reid asked.

"Yes, I'll be fine. Anyway, Hotch gave me everyone's cell number, so if I have any questions, I'll call you."

"Great," Reid said.

Gaby smiled. Reid felt a flutter in his stomach. "Try not to get into any trouble," he said.

Gaby's smile faded. "I'll do my best." She said. Quickly, she whipped around and left the station through the front doors.

Reid watched her until she was out of sight and then went back into the, now empty conference room. He didn't have any paper work to do. He just had to be away from Gaby for a while. She was driving him crazy. She thought he was threatened by her. She thought she was so smart, the little know-it-all.

But then again, he thought as he laid down on the sofa, she had never actually acted like a know-it-all. She basically kept her mouth shut about things. She was quiet. She was nice. She was fun to be around. She was very pretty.

Without even a thought as to what he was doing, Reid closed his eyes and fell asleep, his all-nighter finally getting the best of him.

Hours later, Reid awoke. He bolted up with a start. The clock on the wall read 5:07.

"Oh no!" Reid cried. He jumped up and ran out of the conference room.

"Reid, hurry up!" Morgan cried, "Hotch said he needs to meet everyone in Voggler's office, now!"

"What's wrong?" Reid asked.

"I don't know!" Morgan said.

Reid followed Morgan down the corridors, finally reaching Voggler's office.

"Isn't Gaby back yet?" Reid asked J.J., looking around.

"I thought you were with her," J.J. said,

"Everyone," Hotch said, "We have a very serious situation on our hands. We have received notice from the unsub that… one of our agents has been taken."

Reid felt like someone had kicked him in the stomach. "Oh god, no," he said.

"What's wrong?" Elle asked.

"I was supposed to go with her." Reid said, "I was supposed to protect her."

Reid sunk into a chair. He couldn't believe what he had done. "She's going to be killed because of me."

"Who's going to be killed?" Gaby asked, walking into the room.

Reid stood up like lightening. His jaw dropped. "Gaby!" he cried rushing over to her and clutching her by her arms to make sure she was real. "You're… you're here!"

"Where else would I be?" Gaby asked.

"Wait, if she's here…" Reid said, "Then who's missing?"

Hotch swallowed and took a deep breath, "Gidieon."


	7. Deductive Reasoning

Reid stood frozen as Hotch's words penetrated him. J.J.'s hand was over her mouth, Morgan and Elle looked at each other, their eyes full of fear.

"What did you just say?" Gaby asked.

"Gidieon went to answer the call about Stella Greenspell." Hotch said, "He took one of our rental cars to the school. He never made it."

"I don't understand. How could he have not made it?" Elle asked.

"Right now, that's unknown. After a few hours, the school contacted the police to say no one had showed up. They went out to investigate; his car was found on a back road, abandoned."

"Why would Gidieon get out of the car?" Reid asked. "I mean on a back road, what's there for him to get out for?"

"Alright," said Morgan, starting to think. He turned and started talking to himself. "I'm in the car; I'm driving down the road. Why am I driving down a back road and not the highway?"

"What's he doing?" Gaby asked.

"He's role playing." Elle said, "He's trying to think like the kidnapper."

"Because I'm trying to find a different route to the school." Morgan said. "Possibly an escape route for the unsub. Something makes me get out of the car, something familiar or interesting. But what? Something to do with Stella."

Morgan turned back around. "He must have seen something that pertained to Stella. The unsub set a trap for him and was able to take him away."

"How would he know that Gidieon would be driving down that road?" J.J. asked. "We didn't even know. And how did the unsub contact us?"

"There was a note left on a post-it in the car." Hotch put it onto the screen, "It definitely is not Gidieon's writing. The unsub must have written it before hand and left it in the car before taking him. We also found traces of ether on both seats, but no cloths or bottles."

"He had to drug Gidieon." Elle said. "Obviously, he can't be that strong."

"Since he didn't know who the victim would be, he probably had it ready just in case." Morgan said.

Gaby sunk into a chair that sat right behind her. Reid's hands still clutching her shoulder from when she had walked. She reached up and took them in her own hands. "I can't believe this." She said, "It's all my fault."

"This isn't your fault, Gaby." Morgan said, "Any one of us could have been sent to answer that call."

"No, I… My father and I…" Gaby began, she looked at everyone.

"What's wrong?" Elle asked.

"Never mind, it's not important." She said. Reid looked down at her. She looked so scared. She didn't let go of his hands and he didn't make her.

"Gaby, we can't just sit here, hoping he'll be ok. We have to try to find him. Let's try to figure out who this guy is before Gidieon or Stella gets killed." Hotch said.

Reid looked over at Hotch. "Uh… I… didn't exactly go with Gaby." He said.

"What?" Hotch said.

"I… let her go by herself." Reid said.

Hotch looked furious. No one dared say anything. J.J. and Elle glanced at each other, interest and disbelief in their eyes.

"Outside, Reid," he said, walking to the door.

He was in for it now, he knew it. Slowly, he walked to the door, holding on to Gaby's hands as long as he could. He stepped out. Hotch shut the door.

"Why didn't you go with her?" Hotch asked.

"I thought she could handle it on her own." Reid said.

"Handle it on her own, Reid, it's her first day!" Hotch said. "Did anyone ever let you go out into the field on your own in your first month at the B.A.U.? The first six-months?"

Reid didn't answer. He avoided Hotch's eyes.

"I didn't think it was possible for a kid with your qualifications to actually do something without thinking. I'm writing you up."

"You're what?" Reid asked, "Why? It's not my fault Gidieon was taken."

"Reid, it is just like Morgan said. Anyone one of us could have gone to investigate that kidnapping. What if I had sent you and Gaby, You would have let her go on her own and she could have been taken. This is the first dumb thing you've done, Reid!"

Hotch opened the door. He stood and let Reid walk in first. The others waited nervously as the two walked in. Gaby stood as he walked over.

:"Alright, Gaby, what did you find out about the Fielding?" Hotch asked.

"Nothing that really stood out." Gaby said, "He works nights at the church and mornings at the school. I asked him if he knew anything about Stella. It turns out, back in her freshman year, he worked afternoons. She had a lot of detentions and offered to help him with his jobs. They became pretty good friends. She sometimes stops by after rehersals to help him at the church. She also knew the other victims. Mr. Fielding said that the secretary was a friend of her mother's and the English teacher was in charge of Student Council. Stella was on Student Council. She had just beaten out the other English teachers as head of the English Department, also."

"Wait, she beat out the other English teachers?" Reid asked.

"Isn't that what I just said?" Gaby asked.

"Mr. Herring." Reid said.

"Who?" Morgan asked.

"We met him this morning. He's director of the musical. He's also an English teacher." Reid turned to Gaby, "You may have been right about him."

"Why, what happened?" Elle asked.

"Gaby didn't like the way he referred to Ms. Winters." Reid said, "At least now we have motive for the English teacher."

"But what about the others?" Elle asked.

"Let's think," Morgan said, "They must have done something to set Herring off. They work closely together, every day, so it wouldn't be too difficult. Ms. Winters was the choir teacher. He said he always saw her talking with the kids."

"Including Stella," Elle said.

"She also drove Stella home often after rehearsal. They were neighbors." Gaby said.

"Exactly." Morgan replied.

"What about the secretary?" J.J. said.

"She knew Stella's mother," Hotch said, "Anyone with the slightest non-professional connection to her must have set him off."

"Why would that be?" J.J. asked.

"He has a thing for her," Morgan said.

"Anyone in the school who was close to her in anyway made him jealous and he had to do away with them." Gaby said. "The secretary, the teacher, Ms. Winters, and now he's taken Stella."

"But I still don't understand, why take Gidieon," Elle said.

"He knew we were on his trail." Hotch said. "Stella is so close to being his. He had to do something to that would cause us to back off."

"We're not going to back off, right?" Gaby asked. "We are going to get this bastard, right?"

"We're going to try, Gaby," Hotch said, "I know he's your dad and you love him, but you need to stay calm."

Reid expected Gaby to protest when Hotch said that she loved him. But she merely nodded silently.

"How do we know that Gidieon isn't dead already and he's just waiting to dump the body?" Elle asked.

"We don't," Hotch said, "Stella's missing and at this point, Gidieon is still considered missing. He will be until we know otherwise."

"Okay, so he kidnaps an agent, he has another victim with him… where would he take them?" Morgan asked.

"Wait, what about Mr. Fielding?" Elle asked.

"What about Mr. Fielding?" J.J. replied, confused.

"He was close to Stella, too." Elle said. "Herring would want to get him out of the way as well."

"Then why take Stella now?" Morgan asked. "Why not kill Fielding and then come for her."

No one answered for a moment. Everyone seemed to be thinking, trying to come up with an answer, but nothing was coming.

"Because she knows the way in." Gaby said, suddenly hit with an epiphany. "She's gone there at night. She would know which parts of the church are unlocked at all times. She would know the quiet places where he could keep her and Gidieon. He goes and kills Fielding, he kills… Gidieon," She paused, breathing, "And then Stella is his."

"She and Gidieon are at the church." Reid said.


End file.
